For sustainable pampering, The Spa at South Lodge is the local Chateau Lafite. Sophie Farrah has a vine time...
A hop, skip and jump over the Surrey border, luxury spa hotel South Lodge sits in a glorious position overlooking the South Downs. It’s owned by Exclusive Collection, which in 2021 was the first hotel group in the UK to achieve B Corp certification – a key measure of social and environmental performance. I had been lured there by an all-new spa experience: one that uses the leftovers of the wine-making process to create a revolutionary treatment. As a lover of natural ingredients (and wine), I was intrigued.
In partnership with Kent-based skincare brand Pelegrims, The Spa at South Lodge, Horsham, has developed a range of products that use grapevine extracts from its vineyard. “But will you get to drink the wine as well?” asked my mother before my visit.
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Sadly, no: South Lodge’s nineteen thousand five hundred vines were only planted in 2022. Once they are fully established, however, 10,000 bottles will be produced. In the meantime, the young vine leaves that would otherwise go to waste are being put to good use elsewhere.
After a stroll around the small vineyard and impressive 44,000 sq ft spa, I headed to one of the 14 nature-themed treatment rooms for the Grapevine Face and Back Glow – 60 minutes of scrubbing, rubbing, cleansing and moisturising, encompassing the back, feet and face.
Containing powerful grape leaf extracts, said to have antioxidant and enriching properties that soften and rejuvenate the skin, improve skin tone and fight ageing, the all-natural Pelegrims products smell divine. Not the usual heady spa scents, these were fresh and upliftingly verdant. Each bottle or jar is marked with the vineyard, vintage, harvest and core extract.
In my case: South Lodge - 2022 - 2nd September - young vine leaf. My favourite was the silky facial treatment gel containing plant-based retinol and Pinot Noir grape leaf extract to help renew elasticity in prematurely aged skin (ahem). Not only was the treatment deeply relaxing, but my skin was left soft, smooth and positively glowing.
In addition to its low-intervention vineyard skincare range, South Lodge also boasts a reed bed filtration system that filtrates the hotel’s wastewater and sewage from the spa; two biomass boilers run on wood pellets that provide its main source of heat and serve the swimming pools; and a stunning 18m wild swimming pond cleaned naturally by swaying reeds and aquatic plants. Nor is there any single-use plastic in sight – bags for wet swimming costumes are fully compostable, while unwanted flip-flops are sent for recycling.
I had a delicious lunch at Botanica, the spa’s dairy-free, zero-waste restaurant inspired by the Mediterranean with a menu focused on local and largely plant-based ingredients. The top draw is the ‘wasted burger’ made from surplus veg, whilst sparkling wine is from the vineyard at Ridgeview, just over 10 miles away.
There are still piles of fluffy towels plus a fabulous thermal zone complete with a marble-lined steam room, botanical sauna and jasmine-scented ‘infusion’ room, all of which must come with their environmental impact. But is a luxury spa taking significant steps towards sustainability? I’ll drink to that.
